US Apache Helicopter Down, 1 Pilot Killed
A US Apache helicopter went down Friday night during a training exercise. Here is the report from Yonhap News.
U.S. Apache helicopter crashed into a hill in northern South Korea Saturday, killing one crewmember and critically injuring another, a spokesperson for the U.S. military said.
The AH-64D Longbow Apache attack helicopter went down during a routine training exercise near its military base in Paju, north of Seoul, said Kim Yong-kyu, a spokesman at the U.S. military command in Seoul.
The Longbows, equipped with a fire control radar and fire-and-forget air-to-ground Hellfire missiles, are designed to combat armor threats. The aircraft also boasts 2.75-inch rockets and a 30-millimeter chain gun.
One of the two U.S. soldiers aboard the heavily armored helicopter was killed instantly and the other crewmember was sent to a nearby hospital but remained in a “critical” condition, Kim said.
The cause of the accident is under investigation, he said. A crash investigation team has been dispatched to the site and have cordoned off the area so the wreckage can be examined in detail.
The two soldiers belong to the 1st Battalion of the 2nd Aviation Brigade of the 2nd U.S. Infantry Division which is deployed just south of the heavily-armed border with North Korea. Seoul is only 50 kilometers away from the border.
Helicopter crashes are not all that uncommon here in South Korea partly due to the rugged geography. I’ll keep everyone informed as details become available on this.
I am in the US trying to find out who the two soliers were in the helicopter crash. I have a friend who is a helicopter pilot there, and I have been unable to reach him since the crash. The name of one pilot, the one that initially survived (Cowen) is the only one I can find any info on. Have you heard who the other pilot was?
Gaille Clark.
I may be able to help you.
Tip Cowan
Gaile Clark
How do I know if you read this? Your message is 2.5 years old..